Yolanda Ramirez
Yolanda Ramirez, 72, was a wife, mother and grandmother whose family describes her as loving, kind and warm; she had gone to her brother's home to take him to a medical appointment when a family dispute drew police to the scene in Brentwood, California, in September 2025. Police said she appeared to have a medical issue after being placed in a patrol car, while her family says an officer struck her head on the window and that she was left unattended there. She died on October 3, 2025, after a stay in the hospital, following surgery for a brain bleed. The Contra Costa County coroner's inquest jury ruled her death an accident by a non-unanimous vote, the county pathologist attributed it to a stroke, and a family-contracted autopsy found multiple blunt force trauma and asphyxiation due to restraint. Her family has sued the department, and the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office has been investigating.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed; neglect alleged). The county pathologist attributed the death to a stroke and the inquest jury ruled it an accident, while the family's autopsy found it was a homicide from restraint and their lawsuit says an officer struck her head on the patrol car window and left her unattended.
Reported by: Contra Costa County Coroner's Office (medical examiner or coroner); Dr. James Caruso, county pathologist (medical examiner or coroner); Contra Costa County coroner's inquest jury (court); Dr. Matthias Okoye, family-contracted autopsy (family or their lawyers); family and their attorney Melissa Nold (family or their lawyers).
Lawsuit: Yolanda Ramirez's family sued the Brentwood Police Department over her death after she was held in a patrol car, and no settlement or award amount has been reported.
News reports (3)
- Investigation underway after 72-year-old Brentwood woman dies after interaction with police
- Yolanda Ramirez: Contra Costa County District Attorney agrees to coroner's inquest for Brentwood woman who died in police custody
- ‘We will continue this fight’: Yolanda Ramirez’s death ruled ‘accident’ by inquest jury